About Bangalore

Bangalore

Bangalore, also known as Bengaluru, is often referred to as the ‘Garden City’ because of the numerous parks and gardens that dot the localities of the city. It is also considered as a major information technology (IT) hub of the country and thus called the ‘Silicon Valley of India’. Kempe Gowda, a feudal ruler affiliated to the Vijayanagara kingdom, first established a mud fort, which turned out to be the foundation of the present day city. The city passed through a myriad of rulers ranging from the Marathas, Mughals and Mysore rulers before becoming a part of independent India.

Budget Hotels in BangaloreThere are a couple of good budget hotels in the city. Some of the options which are worth a try are Suntrupthi Residency (Tariff – Rs. 950), Citizen Lodge (Tariff – Rs. 850), The Royal Nest (Tariff – Rs. 900), Vijaya Residency (Tariff – Rs. 900) and others.

LanguageThe official language of Bangalore is Kannada. Hindi, English, Telugu and Tamil are also understood and widely spoken.

Events in BangaloreThe important festivals of the area are Pongal in January, Karaga in April, Ganesh Chathurthi in August-September, Diwali in October-November, the fasting month of Ramadan, the two Eid(s), Easter and Christmas.

Places to See in BangaloreSome of the places worth trying out in Bangalore are Bangalore Palace, Lal Bagh, Cubbon Park, Bannerghatta National Park,Vidhana Soudha, Seshadari Iyer Memorial, Tipu Sultan’s Palace, Bull Temple, ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple, Meenakshi Sundaram Temple, Holy Trinity Church and St. Mary’s Basilica. Wonderla Amusement Park at a distance of 28 km is popular with youngsters and children looking for a break on weekends.

How to Get There

Air:The nearest airport is the Kempegowda International Airport at a distance of 36 km.

Rail:Bangalore City Junction Railway Station is the major railway station in the city.

Bus:There is bus service running from almost everywhere in south India to Bangalore city. State transport buses as well as private operators ply their buses to and fro the city. SRS Travels, Kallada Travels and SRM, Travels are some of the major operators in the city as well as the region. Do away with standing in ticket counters and opt for online bus reservation facility instead.

About Kushtagi

Kushtagi

Kushtagi, a densely populated town in Karnataka’s Koppal district, is known for its fertile lands. The Solapur-Mangalore Highway and State Highway 36 and 42 pass through this town. Some of the nearby cities include Ron, Hospet, Sindhnur and Lingsugur. A few of the tourist attractions around this town are Badami, Gokak, Gadag and Koppal.

Places to StayThere are no hotel facilities in Kushtagi. Hotels in Badami are preferred by tourists as it is closer to the archeological structures and ancient temples. Some of the hotels here are Hotel Anand Deluxe (Tariff – Rs.885), Hotel Mookambika Deluxe (Tariff – Rs.781) and Hotel New Satkar (Tariff – Rs.745).

LanguageThe official language spoken in Kushtagi is Kannada.

EventsThe festivals celebrated in Kushtagi are Sankranti in January, Maha Shivratri in February, Ugadi in March, Ganesha Chaturthi in August-September, Dussehra in September-October and Diwali during October-November.

Places of InterestThere are many tourist attractions around Kushtagi. A few of these places include Koppal (16 km), Gajendragad (26 km), Vanageri (7 km) and Kala Kaleshwar (30 km) away from Kushtagi.

How to Get There

Air:Hubli Airport is the closest airport, which is 141 km away from Kushtagi.

Rail:There is no railway station in Kushtagi. The nearest railway station is the Koppal Railway Station located 52 km away from Kushtagi.

Bus:Kushtagi is well connected to neighbouring cities and towns by state-run and private buses. VRL Travels, SRS Travels, HMS Travels and Jabbar Travels are some of the private bus operators that run Volvo buses daily from Bangalore to Kushtagi. Travel websites offer discount on bus ticket booking, especially during the festive season.